Yakani urges Regional Task Force led by Jakaya Kikwete to review December election readiness

JUBA — Civil society activist Edmund Yakani has called for the establishment of a special regional task force led by former Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the African Union’s high-level envoy to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, to evaluate South Sudan’s election preparedness.

Yakani, the Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), urged national leaders to review recommendations from the African Union’s C5 ad hoc committee and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Addressing the urgency of the approaching timeline, Yakani stated: “Our call is this: if December is too close, we would like to appeal to you to take the path of the African Union (AU) C5 ad-hoc committee resolutions and the resolution of the extraordinary meeting of the IGAD Council of Ministers—specifically, the last AU C5 head of state summit, which recommended the establishment of a task force.”

He proposed that the task force convene in Juba to receive a technical assessment from the National Elections Commission regarding its readiness for the scheduled December 2026 polls and to explore viable alternatives if the current timetable is unworkable.

Expounding on the mechanism, Yakani added: “Let that task force be established under the offices of His Excellency Jakaya Kikwete as the AU high-level envoy to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, and hold the task force meetings in Juba.”

“Here, the National Elections Commission (NEC) can provide technical updates on its readiness for the elections or an alternative path, allowing the AU Peace and Security Council and IGAD to agree on a technical rollover of the timeline since you are caught up with a dissolved government and no longer have a legislative structure with the legal mandate to amend the electoral schedule.”

He maintained that credible elections remain essential for citizens seeking a peaceful transfer of power, but emphasized that regional and continental bodies must help facilitate a technical solution given the approaching deadlines and the absence of a functioning national legislative structure to adjust the schedule.

Yakani urged President Salva Kiir’s government and political parties to prioritize national interests, avoid further delays, and ensure that adequate conditions are established for a safe, inclusive, and peaceful process.